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I am happy to consider reviewing books on behalf of publishers. However, please note that I will publish my honest thoughts of the book. If I do not like it, I will and do feel obligated to point out the reasons why I would not recommend it to others. I maintain an affiliate account with Amazon and receive compensation for purchases which originate via the Amazon link provided in any given review.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Thanksgiving Books for Kids (with a giveaway)

I've come to really appreciate Ideals Books when it comes to celebrating the holidays with small children. They are kind of my automatic go-to source when I'm looking for a way to explain a holiday to my toddler. Their books are always simple and straightforward making concepts easy to grasp.

So, naturally I was delighted to be given the opportunity to check out some of their board books on the topic of Thanksgiving.

Today Is Thanksgiving! is one of their board book and the story is told in rhyme. The book opens with two smiling children who are looking out their window, safe inside from the icicle breeze which is whipping the leaves around.

The children troop down to the kitchen to find their parents deep in the thick of things when it comes to preparing the family's meal for the day. The children are remembering the Pilgrims and Indians, parades on tv, friends in the neighborhood who come over to play football (well, ok, we don't do that exactly), family and full bellies. This book is a fun look at Thanksgiving and just hits on the various traditions that families have in celebrating the day.

What Is Thanksgiving? asks the question of the meaning behind the day. Is it all of the activities mentioned in the aforementioned book? Is it the food? The friends? The family? Ultimately this book lets the young reader know that no, it isn't about the things or the particulars of the day. It's about remembering to be thankful to God for the blessings that He has poured out over our lives. Yes, Thanksgiving day itself is fun and full of treasured traditions, etc. But this book reminds the reader that we need to look to the source of these individual gifts. Obviously I have no complaints about the conclusion that this particular title has drawn. Very strong and definite Christian message if you are looking for something along those lines.

Lastly, Ideals Books has just released a new edition of An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving, by Louisa May Alcott. This new title is illustrated by Jody Wheeler and is more kid-friendly than the version I reviewed last year. I really like the feel Wheeler has given Alcott's story and I'm excited to see this new presentation of the book. (By the way, I also reviewed An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving movie last year at 5 Minutes for Books. My advice is to read the short story and skip the movie if you have to take your pick. Or watch the movie but don't think of it as having anything to do with the original book!)

I'm so glad that Ideals Books is bringing this story back! It is a perfect read aloud for the Thanksgiving season and so I'm extremely delighted to inform you that Ideals Books has offered a copy of An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving to one of you!

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. THE WINNER, selected by Random.org, is #7 - Serena!

40 comments:

Thanks for the recommendations! I bought my daughter the Easter companion (I guess you would call it) to What is Thanksgiving? It talks about many of the traditions but focuses on the reason for Easter. Looks like some more books to add to our collection.

Just found your blog from Semicolon. Enjoyed your rocommendations and looking forward to reading some. I am also collecting books for my grandchildren and your recommendations are truly appreciated. I am hoping to win this book for when we seen the kids at Thanksgiving! Please contact me at davidndes(at)comcast(dot)net